Counter pressure filling machine with a plurality of chambers



NOV 18, 1969 R. MALLRICH E'rAL COUNTER PRESSURE FILLING MACHINE WITH A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS Filed April 5, 1967 /A/a/[A/rop Pf/da/fMAuP/cw Hermann /l B United States Patent O 3,478,785 COUNTER PRESSURE FILLING MACHINE WITH A PLURALITY F CHAMBERS Rudolf Mallrich and Hermann Kolb, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; said Kolb assignor to Seitz-Werke G.m.b.H., Bad Kreuznach, Germany Filed Apr. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 645,556 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 1, 1966, S 102,989 Int. Cl. B65b 31/02, 31/04 U.S. Cl. 141-39 ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a counter-pressure filling machine with a preferably annular upper section forming *a liquid receiving container, and equipped with a plurality of filling units, said upper section being connected through a central column with a lower section carrying supporting means for the vessels to be filled. The said filling units are connected to separate chambers for respectively receiving liquid, loading gas and a return gas. The arrangement is such that the liquid pressure and the loading pressure are controllable by an adjustable diaphragm valve common to all of said filling units, whereas the return gas pressure for each filling units is individually adjustable by an individual throttle, the throttled return gas from each filling element being conveyed into a chamber communicating with the atmosphere.

rI`he present invention concerns lcounter-pressure multichamber filling machines. With circulating counter-pressure filling machines having a plurality of separate chambers for the liquid, the gas under pressure and the return gas for filling beverages containing carbonic acid, especially beer, into bottles or similar vessels, the chambers are customarily provided in an upper portion carryingfthe filling elements and in a central column which establishes communication between the upper portion and a l'ower machine part containing the lifting elements. The individual filling elements on the upper portion of the machine communicate with the chambers through conduits and passages in such a way that following the placing of a vessel pressed against the filling elements under preload, the gas under pressure or clamping gas (Spanngas.) which is displaced by the infiowing liquid passes into the return gas chamber through an opened passage.

With heretofore known counter-pressure multi-chamber filling machines of the above mentioned type, it is known to `control the pressure of the return gases in conformity with the beer pressure. The diaphragm control valves ernployed for this purpose use the liquid pressure as starting pressure for the control of the loading and return gas pressure and are connected to the feeding conduits for liquid and loading gas which lead to the filling machine and are also connected to the return gas conduit. From the pressure chamber of the return gas, the latter escapes into the atmosphere. Normally such control device brings abput that the same pressures prevail in the three chambers and that at a higher or lower liquid pressure the two other pressures automatically change accordingly. At the same time, however, it is also possible between the liquid pressure on one hand and the pressure for the loading and return gas on the other hand to establish a pressure difference which frequently is advantageous when filling especially with different types of beer and brings about the desired overfoaming of the filled bottles for displacing the air from the bottle neck.

Experience has shown that the heretofore known control systems will not in all instances assure a proper opera- 6 Claims 3,478,785 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 ICC tion of the above mentioned filling machines. As long as the filling output is in accordance with the working speed of the control systems, the pressure control is in most instances possible Without any difficulties even though in this instance the control of the return gases does not always meet every desired condition. The criticism of the return gas control is directed primarily against the complicated structure of the control systems, especially against the third diaphragm which is provided in the path of the return gas fiow and the operation of which due to its own inertia and the long return gas path deviates from the operation or behavior of the other diaphragms. This defect of the heretofore known control systems makes itself particularly felt with high output machines because in view of the fast speed at which during the filling operation pressure variations occur, an overlapping may be created to which the diaphragms react only irregularly. As a result thereof, the continuity of the filling operation is interfered with and the filling occurs in an unstable manner. This drawback occurs in particular with machines which are at a standstill or are operating at time intervals and with machines in which the liquid pressure rises and falls or varies. The return gas control will then work irregularly with the result that a considerable number of the vessels leaving the filling machine are filled only partially.

It has been found according to the present invention that a return gas conduit without the heretofore known control by means of a diaphragm control valve can be of advantage with the above mentioned filling machines and that it will suffice to withdraw the return gas merely under throttled condition. Starting from the finding that thus only the control of the preloading pressure in conformity with the liquid pressure is necessary, the present invention suggests, in connection with bottle filling machines of the above mentioned type, to control the liquid and preloading pressure by means of an adjustable diaphragm control device common to all lling elements, and to control the return gas pressure by throttling means respectively individually associated with each filling element lwhile passing the throttled return gas from each filling element into a chamber of the central column which chamber communicates with the atmosphere. In conformity with the present invention, the throttle may be arranged in the return gas path of the filling elements within the element housing or outside the element housing in the return gas conduit leading to the return gas chamber. The throttle itself is advantageously exchangeably arranged in the return gas path so that at any desired time a throttle can be inserted in conformity with the respective liquid to be filled into the vessels.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing diagrammatically illustrating partly in view and partly in section a counter-pressure multichamber filling machine according to the invention in FIGURES l and 2, respectively.

The filling machine illustrated in the drawing comprises primarily a lower section 11 rotatably mounted on a stand 10 and equipped with bottle supports 12 adapted selectively to be raised and lowered, and is further provided with a central column 13 and an upper section 14 supported thereby. At the circumference of the upper section 14 there is provided an annular container 15awhich comprises a liquid chamber 15 and a loading gas chamber 16 separated from the liquid chamber 15 by a partition 16a. Filling elements 17 are connected to the upper section 14 and are arranged in alignment with the bottle supports 12 of the lower machine section 11. Each element 17 communicates with chamber 16 and 15 through conduits 18 and 19. Moreover, each of the elements 17 communicates through a conduit 20 with a return gas chamber 21 arranged in the central column 13. Chamber 21 in its turn is adapted to communicate with the atmosphere through a conduit 23 which is adapted to be closed by means of a valve 22. A throttle 24 is exchangeably inserted in the return gas path 25 of each filling element 17. Throttle 24 may advantageously be arranged in the conduit 20 outside the element housing or, if desired, may be arranged within the housing body at the exit to said conduit 20. Moreover, the said throttle 24 may at the inlet side or the inlet and outlet side be protected by a screen against the entrance of foreign bodies. The gas and liquid paths 18, 25 and 19 of the filling elements 17 equipped with a filling pipe 26 and a centering funnel 27 are respectively controlled by a valve-like control element 28. Abutment elements not shown on the circumference of the machine bring about the control movements of the elements 28.

The feeding lines 31 and 32 for the liquid and the loading gas come together in a central pipe section 30V in the upper section 14 of the machine. The liquid conduit 31 is connected to chamber 15 through the intervention of a plurality of distributing conduits 33. Also for the loading gas conduit 32 there are provided a plurality of conduits 34 leading to the chamber 16. Conduit 23 communicating with the return gas chamber 21 leads out of the pipe section 30.

Laterally of the filling machine there is provided a control member in the form of a diaphragm valve 35 which communicates with the liquid conduit 31 and the loading gas conduit 32. Control valve 35 consists primarily of two pressure chambers 37 and 38 which are separated from each other by a diaphragm 36. The upper chamber 37 communicates through a passage 39 with the liquid conduit 31, whereas the lower chamber 38 directly communicates with the loading gas conducting conduit 32. The gas supply is controlled by a valve 40. For establishing pressure differences between the liquid pressure and the gas pressure, there is provided a spring-urged valve 40 which is adjustable selectively by means of a control element 41.

When the filling machine by means of conduit 31 is connected to a liquid tank and by means of conduit 32 is connected to a source of loading gas, and is prepared for a filling operation, chamber 15 is filled with liquid, and chamber 16 is filled with loading gas. Also chamber 37 of control valve 35 will in view of the connection 39 contain liquid which liquid, in view of the pressure inherent thereto, will act upon the diaphragm 36. The liquid pressure is counter-acted by the loading gas in chamber 38. By actuating adjusting member 41, pressure equalization or pressure difference between liquid and gas can be established. After the machine drive has been started, the bottles fed in a continuous manner by a conveyor belt not shown to the filling machine are transferred to the rotating bottle supports 12 and by means of the latter are pressed against the centering funnel 27 of the filling elements. After a first rotation of the control member 28, a pressedon bottle is in customary manner pre-loaded in conformity with the liquid pressure while by means of the control valve 28 a connection to the chamber 16 is established and the loading gas flows through conduit 18 into the bottle. As soon as pressure'equalization has been established in the interior of the bottle, following a further control step of element 28, the liquid follows from chamber 15 through conduit 19 and fills pipe 26. The gas displaced from the interior of the bottles and passing through return gas passage of pipe 26 and the return gas path 25 of filling element 17 as well as through conduit 20 to chamber 21 will be conveyed through throttle 24 before it enters the said chamber and from there passes through conduit 23 and open valve 22 into the atmosphere. This throttle which advantageously has a nozzle-shaped central bore of a diameter varying from 0.7 to 0.9 mm. reduces the cross section of the return gas path and brings about that the return gas will not escape shockwise but in a delayed manner. This in turn brings about a uniform filling of the bottles vhich is practically non-sensitive with regard to pressure variations in the liquid conveying conduit. At the end of the filling operation at which time the control member 28, following the preceding pressure relief of the filled bottle, returns to its starting position, the filled bottle together with the lowered support 12 is withdrawn from the filling element 17 and is transferred by the discharge star of the machine onto a conveyor belt in a manner known in the art. While various control devices 28 may be used in connection with the filling units 17, a control device as disclosed in R. Mallrich Patent No. 3,252,486 has proved advantageous in connection with the present invention.

What we claim is:

1. A counter-pressure filling machine, especially bottling machine, which comprises: a rotatable lower section including supporting means for the vessels to be filled, a central column supported by said lower section, areturn gas receiving chamber supported by said central column and adapted to communicate with the atmosphere, an upper section supported by said central column and including container means for receiving and releasing the liquid to be filled into vessels on said supporting means, a plurality of filling units respectively aligned with said supporting means for filling vessels on said supporting means, first conduit means communicating 4with said container means and adapted to be' connected to a supply of liquid to be conveyed to said container means, second conduit means adapted to be connected to a supply of loading gas and leading to said filling units for filling units for conveying loading gas into the vessels to be filled on said supporting means prior to said vessels being filled with liquid, diaphragm valve' means common to allrof said filling units and having one side of the diaphragm thereof in communication with said first conduit means and having the opposite side of said diaphragm in communication with said second conduit means, third conduit means respectively provided in said lling units for communication with the interior of the vessels lto be filled, said third conduit means leading to said return gas receiving chamber for conveying return gas from vessels being filled to said chamber, and a plurality of throttle means respectively associated with said filling units from each of which return gas is directed to said receiving chamber supported by said central column and connected to communicate with the atmosphere.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which said throttling means are respectively arranged flush within said filling units.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which said throttling means are respectively arranged laterally outside of said filling units.

4. A machine according to claim 1, in which said throttling means are accessible and exchangeably arranged serially in said third conduit means.

5. A machine according to claim 1, which includes final conduit means leading from said return gas receiving chamber to the atmosphere, and valve means adapted selectively to be closed and opened and arranged in said final conduit means.

6. A machine according to claim 1, in which each of said throttling means is in series with said third conduit means, and control element means individually adjustable and provided also in series with said third conduit means supplemental to said throttling means to assure crossse'ctional reduction of return gas passage in delayed manner for uniform filling operation.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 474,702 12/ 1914 France.

HOUSTON S. BELL, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 141-48, 52, 57 

